Soda-fountain



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0. ZWIETUSGH. Y

SODA FOUNTAIN. No. 476,589. PatentedJune 7, 1892.

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(No-Model.) 2 sheetssheen 2.

O. ZWIETSCH. SODA FOUNTAIN No. 476,589. Patented June 7, 1892.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEETCE.,

OTTO ZWIETUSCH, OF MILWAUKEE, IVISCONSIN.

SODA-FOUNTAIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 476,589, dated June 7,1892.

Application filed October 3l, 1891. Serial No. 410,453. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern.-

Be it known that I, OTTO ZWIETUSCH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Milwaukee, in the countyof Milwaukee and State ofIVisconsin, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Soda-Fountains,of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to overcome certain defects insoda-fountains as heretofore constructed and to produce a soda-fountainof a generally improved character.

The term soda-fountain is intended to include a fountain suitable forboth soda-water and the various mineral waters; but since the appliancesfor the several mineral waters would involve merely a multiplication ofthe same features that are used for the carbonated water employed forsoda-water I have omitted from the drawings all pipes and reservoirsexcept those employed for soda-water.

By the construction of my fountain I aim to get the fullest possibleeffect from the ice employed; also, to prevent sweating of the marble;also, to provide the most convenient and effective means for inserting,retaining, and removing the sirup-cans3 also, to insure prompt andeffective drainage; also, to avoid lost space, to the end that the wholeinterior of the fountain may be made available for useful purposes, andalso to provide various improved details of construction.

The mechanism by which the foregoing objects are fulfilled will bereadily understood from the following description, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a vertical sectionof the fonn tain, taken from front to rear; Fig. 2, a horizontal sectionof the same, taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. l and viewed in the directionof thc arrow; Fig. 3, a sect-ional View showing the manner of attachingthe faucet to each Sirup-can; Fig. e, a sectional view of theventingvalve; Fig. 5, a broken sectional view taken on the line 5 ofFig. I and viewed in the direction of the arrow, and Fig. G abrokenperspective view of a Sirup-can.

A A are the outer walls of the fountain, formed of marble, as usual. I3is the counter upon which it stands, and C is the ice-receptaclesupported within the fountain and provided with an inclined bottom t.Between the ice-receptacle and the inner walls of the fountain anairspace s intervenes on all sides to permit the free descent of coldair, and I prefer generally to employ cold-air escapes fr in the sideand rear of the ice-receptacle, leading from the interior into thespaces s. The air-escapes fr I make usually in the form of slots, asshown, and to prevent the ice from entering them I provide inclinedshields q, secured to the inner walls of the iceieceptacle and underwhich the cold air passes on its way to the spaces s, or incline theopenings fr upward and outwardly, when shields need not be applied. Theair-passages r need only be employed when the cold air which passes overthe outer edges of the ice-receptacle O and down by way of the airspaces is not suibcient to keep the sirupcans adequately cool. Hence Iprovide the passages r with slide-valves p, which may be raised andlowered at will by rods or chains o.

Much difficulty has been encountered heretofore by the sweating, socalled, of the outer walls of the fountain. This is due partly to theexudation of moisture from the marble and partly to condensation uponthe cold exterior of vapor from the surrounding atmosphere. Thesweating, from whichever cause, I wholly prevent by lining the innerwalls with a non-conducting materiali), impervious to moisture. Theimpervious character of the lining prevents exudation from the marble,while its non-conductive property prevents the marble frombecoming-reduced in temperature by the ice to a degree low enough tocause condensation of the vapor of the atmosphere.

The non-conducting and water-repellent lining' may consist of anymaterial having the requisite properties and formed in sheetssuch, forexample, as india-rubber; butI pre* fer to employ sheets of asbestosabout oneeighth of an inch in thickness treated in the manner describedfor stoneware in Letters Patent granted to me on the 9th day of May,ISH-that is to say, I take a heated solution of paraffine, spermaceti,or other similar material kept at boiling-point, and in this I place theasbcstus sheet to be treated and there allow it to remain until allatmospheric air is driven out of the pores by the heat, which resultwill have been reached when bubbles no longer pass upward through thesolution. The solution will then have filled all pores of the asbestusand will remain there, and when cooled the article will be found to beperfectly impervious to moisture. In preparing the solution of paraiiineor the like I sometimes add a small quantity of caoutchouc or beeswax.The effect of this treatment is not only to render the substancewater-repellent, but it also overcomes all liability to attack andinjury by acids, thus giving it an advantage over other non-conductingand water-repellent materials that might be employed. The lining D issecured in place to the marble walls at the top and toward the bottom.At the top it is secured by means of flanged metal strips E, the flanges'a of which perform the additional function of supporting a wooden innercover F above thetop of the ice-receptacle C, thus leaving a space forthe passage of cold air over the edges of the icereceptacle and into theair-space s. The inside wooden cover F is so placed in the fountain asto leave an air-space G above it and below the hinged top H of thefountain, the purpose of which is to aid in keeping the interior cool.

The bottom I of the fountain inclines in the same direction as thebottom t ot the ice-receptaclethat is, from front to rear-and is coveredwith a zine sheathingm. On all sides except the front the Zinc sheathingm extends for a short distance up the inside walls of the fountain, asat m in Fig. l, and the lining D by extending to the bottom overlapsthat portion of the sheathing which is turned up. The effect of this isto prevent any moistnre trickling down the face of the lining fromfinding any crevice into which it can pass, thus causing the whole of itto be deposit ed upon the inclined zinc sheathing m and drained off.

J is a Llrainage-pipe, which carries off water produced by the meltingice and also the moisture which accumulates upon the inclined zincbottom m. The upperr end of the pipe J extends above the lowest part ofthe bottom t of the ice-receptacle C as shown at Z, for a purpose thatwill be referred to farther on, and passes thence downward through alarge opening K, extending through the bottom I of the fountain andcounterB. Surrounding the opening K and projecting above the zincsheathing m is a metal tiange or rim k, soldered to the sheathing m, sothat no leakage can occur, and through this r-im a branch pipe ficonnects the lowest point of the inclined metal sheathing m with thedrainage-pipe J, whereby the moisture accumulating upon the inclinedbottom finds ready egress. Therim is surmounted by a cap 7L ofindia-rubber, through which the drainage-pipe J passes, tightly fittingthe opening provided for it, and through which also the pipes conveyingsoda-water or mineral waters to the interior of the fountain likewisepass. By this construction the couplings are readily made in the firstinstance and all escape of cold air through the bottom of the fountainis prevented.

L is the pipe for conveying carbonated water to the interior of thefountain. Since the overflowZ is above the level of the coil L, thelatter will always be immersed in the cold water formed by the meltingice.

M M are reservoirs interposed in the pipe L and through which the liquidpasses on its way to the outlet. The arrangement of the pipes is suchthat the liquid takes a circuitous course through the reservoirsthat isto say, the internal pipes g extend from the openings atf and f2, whichof course are near the bottom, since they must be in the plane of thecoil nearly to the top of the interior of each reservoir. Thus theliquid entering the reservoir at f is discharged into the lower part ofthe reservoir and passes out at the upper part through f2, thence entersthe lower part of the reservoir M at f3, and thence passes out from theupper part through f. This is because the internal pipes g arecontinuations of the pipe L, extending inward and upward from the pointsf and f2. By drawing the water from the upper part of the reservoir thelatter is always filled and the gas and air are carried out with theIiow of the water. This is not the case where the water is drawn fromthe bottom of the reservoir, and the result is sputtering and lessthorough cooling. After leaving the reservoir M the pipe L enters theupright reservoir N, and thence it passes by way of the pipe L to-thefaucet O, from which it is drawn. It will be observed that the pipe Ldischarges upward into the reservoir N and that the pipe L withdraws theliquid from that reservoir from a point below that at which the liquidenters it. The purpose of the reservoir N is to produce a steady flowfrom the faucet O by serving as a collectorof the air and free gas, fromwhich it may be discharged before drawing liquid from the faucet O. Theair and free gas accumulate, of course, in the upper part of thereservoir N, and the discharge is effected by means of the Vent e,controlled from the outside by means of the screw-valve d. Thisconstruction discharges the waste through the vent c into theice-receptacle (whence it may be drawn olf with the drip from themelting ice) and permits the operation to be performed from the outsideof the fountain by simply turning the handle of the screw-valve d, andis thus a great improvement over constructions for a like purpose whichdischarge upon the outside of the fountain or which discharge upon theinside, but which also are operated from the interior.

Pis a sirup-can forming one of a series reaching from side to side ofthe fountain. It is provided with a hinged door c in its upper face,preferably at the rear, for the introduction of sirup, and this door mayor may not be provided with a lock or catch. Of course any opening withmeans for closing it may be IIO substituted for the door c. Thesirup-cans P are to be inserted through the opening Q, extending acrossthe front of the fountain toward its lower end, and then raised abovethe bottom of the fountain, thus bringing them near the ice-receptacle,and supported there. The opening Q is provided with means R for closingit, either in the form of a hinged trap door of metal or other materialo1' similar doors folding together or slabs of marble or other materialarranged to be inserted and removed at will; but the closing means donot extend to the top of the opening, a space Deing lef t above, whichis closed by metal anged plates S, connected to the Sirup-cans. To raiseand support the rear end of the Sirup-cans when inserted through theopening Q, I employ the metal plate T, forming an inclined plane leadingto a ledge horizontal, or nearly so. The plate T is perforatedthroughout to permit a free circulation of air and is supported inbearings b at the rear of the fountain by means of pins l1', projectinglaterally from its rear edge. and removable when the Sirup-cans are out,giving easy access to the interior for all purposes. This is anadvantage in setting up the fountain, since the guide-plate T need notbe placed in position until after the couplings have been made, when itis easily inserted.

In order that the pipes .l and L and the plate T shall not interferewith each other, the pipes are caused to enter the fountain at one ofthe rear corners, the opening K and rim k being suitably located topermit this arrangement. In order that the rear ends of the sirupcans Pmay slide easily up the inclined plane formed by the plate T, I preferto provide them with one or more rollers a at the rear end. The rollersby extending below the plane of the bottom of the can perform a functionadditional to the one named above, since in conjunction with the fiangedplate S they form a support for the sirup-can that will permit it tostand level upon a plane surface, such as a counter.

The iian ged plate S is cast rigid with the faucet of the sirup can oris made detachable by screw-threads, and its purpose is twofold first,to complete the closing of the opening Q, as before stated,and,secondly, to form ameans, in conjunction with other agents, forsupporting the forward end of the sirup-can. The part u of the flangedplate S extends inward beyond the marble constituting the front wallwhen the Sirup-can is in place.

Secured to the inner front wall of the fountain, above the opening Q,isa series of metal strips et, bent forward at their lower ends to about aright angle, as shown at o', and eX- tendng below the upper edge of' theopening Q to a distance about equal to the thickness of the part u ofthe flanged plate S. J ust behind each strip u and secured with it tothe marble wall of the fountain at its upper end is a spring-strip w. Toplace a sirup-can P It is thus readily adjustableV in proper position,it is inserted through the opening Q, pushed up the inclined plane ofthe plate T, its forward end being lifted meanwhile until the flangedplate S brings up against the top of the opening Q. The curved forwardend prevents the spring w from interfering with this movement. It isthen drawn slightly forward against the resistance of the spring w untilthe part u passes the fiange o', when the action of the spring vw drawsit backward, causing the part u to lodge upon the flange e. To removethe Sirup-can, it is drawn slightly forward against the resistance ofthe spring w to free the part u from the flange o' and then lowered andwithdrawn.

It will be seen that the raised position of the Sirup-cans P leaves anavailable empty space U below them, accessible through the opening Q byremoving the closing device R. This space may be used as a receptaclefor any substance requiring to be kept cool-such, for example, as thecream to be employed in the fountain and certain medicinal compounds.The space U is au important and valuable feature of the invention.

It is essential that the faucet V of each Sirup-can shall be coupled tothe can by means of a tight joint and also that it shall dischargevertically downward when the can is in place. To secure these ends, lhave provided the coupling illustrated in Figs. l and 3 of the drawings.The Sirup-can is provided with an externally-threaded nipple WV, with ai flaring interior to receive the conical end of the tube X, which isprovided on its exterior with a finer screwthread than that upon theexterior of the nipple W. The collar Y is provided on its interior withdifferential screw-threads matching, respectively, the screw-threads onthe nipple W and the fine threads on the tube X, and this collar isprovided with suitable means, as at y, for the application of a wrench.To make the connection, the collar is screwed upon the 'nipple W almostbut not quite home. The tube X, which is the faucet-pipe and which isrigid with the flanged plate S, is then screwed into the collar Y untilit is nearly home in the flaring part of the nipple YV, and is Vleft insuch a position that the discharge-orifice of the faucet will dischargevertically downward. It is then held in this position while force isapplied to the collar Y by means of a wrench. The effect of this finalturning of the collar Y is to carry it forward upon the nipple W, andsince by reason of the differential character of the screw-threads thecollar is not carried along the tube Xwith the same speed that it iscarried along the nipple the tube is drawn inward by the collar, causingthe conical part 0J to wedge tightly within the flaring portion of thenipple.

When my fountain is employed for mineral waters as well as forsoda-water, a separate pipe corresponding with the pipe L is introducedforeach particular water, with a suit- IOO able tap in the front of thefountain, provided with the venting device above described, the same asin the case of soda-water.

l/Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a soda-fountain, the combination, with the walls A and coverthereof, of an ice-receptacle C, supported therein and terminating belowthe top of the fountain and smaller in diameter than the interior of thefountain, whereby air-spaces s intervene, a lining D, of non-conductingmaterial impervious to moisture, secured directly against the marbleforming the inner walls of the fountain and constituting the interiorsurface of the fountainwalls, and means for conveying the liquid to becooled through the ice-receptacle to the outlet, substantially asdescribed.

2. In asoda-fountain, the combination, with the walls A and coverthereof, of an ice-receptacle C, supported within the fountain below thetop thereof and of smaller diameter than the interior of the fountain,whereby an air-space s intervenes between the ice-receptacle and theinner walls of the fountain, and provided in its walls with passages r,leading from the interior into the passages s, plates q, secured to theinner walls of the ice-receptacle above the openings fr and incliningdownward therefrom, thereby shielding the said openings, and means forconveying the liquid to be cooled through the ice-receptacle to theoutlet, substantially as described.

3. Inasoda-fountain, the combination, with the walls and cover thereof,of an ice-receptacle C, of smaller diameter than the interior of thefountain, supported within the fountain below the top thereof, pipe L,leading from without the fountain to the bottom of the ice-receptacleand coiled therein, reservoirs M and M', interposed in the pipe L andprovided with the pipes g, reservoir N, provided with a vent c and valvefor opening and closing the same, pipe L', leading from the interior ofthe reservoir N to the exterior of the fountain, and faucet O upon thepipe L', substantially as described.

Lt. In combination with the walls A of a soda-fountain and imperviousnon-conducting lining D therefor, the rim E, securing the upper end ofVthe lining to the fountain and provided at its lower edge with theflange n, serving as a support for the inner wooden cover F,substantially as described.

5. In combination with a soda-fountain having an opening K extendingthrough the bottom thereof, the metal sheathing m, provided with the rim7s, surrounding the opening K, and cover h for the rim, having openingsthrough it for the passage of pipes, substantially as described.

' G. In combination with a soda-fountain having an opening K extendingthrough thebottorn thereof, the metal sheathing m, provided with the rimk, surrounding the opening K, cover h, of india-rubber, pipe J, drainingthe ice-receptacle of the fountain and extending through the cap h andopening K, and branch pipe z', leading through the rim kand into thepipe J, substantially as described.

7. In combination with a soda-fountain provided with an opening Qin thelower portion of its front wall, the sirup-cans P, each provided with afaucet projecting from the lower part of its forward end and with aflange to aid in closing the upper part of the opening Q, means forsupporting the can above the bottom of the fountain, and means foropening and closing at will the lower portion of the opening Q, wherebythe accessible cooling-space U below the Sirup-cans is provided,substantially as described.

8. In combination with a soda-fountain provided with an opening Q in thelower portion of its front wall and means for partly closing the same,the angle-plate T, forming an inclined plane and ledge toward the rearof the fountain to raise and support the rear end of the Sirup-can, andmeans for supporting the forward end of the Sirup-can, substantially asdescribed.

9. In combination with a soda-fountain with an opening Q in the lowerportion of its front wall and means for partly closing the same and withthe Sirup-can P, provided on its faucet extension with the plate S,having the flange u, the angle-plate T for raising and supporting therear end of the can and strip t and spring fw for supporting the forwardend of the can through the medium of the flange t" and retaining it inplace, substantially as described.

l0. In combination with a soda-fountain provided with an opening Q inthe lower portion of its front wall and means for partly closing thesame and with the Sirup-can P, the angle-plate T, detachably connectedto the rear wall of the fountain and serving as a medium for raising andsupporting the rear end of the can, and means for supporting theforward'end of the can in about the same horizontal plane with the rearportion, substantially as described.

Il. In combination with a soda-fountain, substantially as described, theSirup-can P, having the internally-flaring and externallythreaded nippleNV, faucet-tube X, provided on its extension with screw-threads finerthan those on the nipple W and tapering at its inner end to fit theinterior of the nipple, and collar Y, threaded internally to match thedifferential screw-threads on the nipple and faucet-tube,substantiallyas and for the purpose set forth.

I2. In combination with a soda-fountain, substantially as described, thesirupcan P, faucet-tube X, means for coupling them together,flange-plate S, rigid with the faucettube, means for supporting the rearend of the sirup-can above the bottom of the sodafountain, and means forsupporting the forward end of the Sirup-can from the wall above it,substantially as described.

13. In a soda-fountain, the combination of TOO IIO

a drip-pan located in the lowest part of the interior thereof andprovided with an outlet, au ice-receptacle supported above the drippau,whereby a cooling-space is formed between the bottom of theice-receptacle and bottom of the fountain, one or more air-passagesconnecting the interior of the ice-recepmele with the cooling-space, anda nou-couduoting Water-repe1lent lining for the fountain, terminating atits lowerend in theinterior 1o of the drip-pan, whereby :L11 drip andacoumulatiug moisture are collected and carried off, substantially asdescribed.

OTTO ZWIETUSCH. In presence of J. N. HANSON, M, J. FROST.

